


Come Over

by totheendoftheworldortime79



Category: Star Wars Sequel Trilogy
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Damerey Week, F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-28
Updated: 2020-10-28
Packaged: 2021-03-08 18:55:42
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,119
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27241534
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/totheendoftheworldortime79/pseuds/totheendoftheworldortime79
Summary: After receiving some bad news at work, Rey gets a surprise visitor to help her feel better.
Relationships: Poe Dameron/Rey
Comments: 10
Kudos: 47





	Come Over

**Author's Note:**

> Hurt/comfort for day 4! Enjoy!

“You weren’t selected for the position.”

Rey sat on the other side of the table, stone faced. On some level, she expected this. Good things never happened to her. She wanted this position _so_ badly. She was qualified. She worked her ass off. She did everything asked of her—even volunteering for special projects—and now these managers that she’d worked with for years were telling her she wasn’t good enough.

A lump formed in her throat; she had to will herself not to cry.

This _hurt_. It was like there was a knife in her chest; she struggled to breathe. She was probably making a terrible impression right now, but she had an awful poker face. Everyone knew that. It was something she needed to work on if she wanted to advance in her career, she knew that. Rey was actually very self-aware. She didn’t need this “you’re really great, but we picked someone else” song and dance. She had a feeling this was more to make _them_ feel better, the people who were currently crushing her hopes and dreams.

“We just feel like you need to open up more,” one of the managers was saying. “Let people really see who you are and what you bring to the table.”

That sounded like bullshit. Rey’s grip on the arm of the chair tightened. _Don’t lash out. Play by their stupid rules._ She nodded slowly. What did they want her to do? Have a complete personality transplant? She wasn’t an extrovert. She worked best on her own or with a partner. She hated public speaking. She’d been working on that too, doing a few training sessions with small groups. _She did everything right._

So why didn’t they pick her?

“I know this is hard,” another one said. “It’s never easy to be told no. I was told no a dozen times…”

Rey tuned that out. She’d heard this story before. She wasn’t used to failing. That’s what this felt like…failure. Like there was something fundamentally wrong with her.

Blessedly, the meeting ended. Rey left the room with what dignity she could muster and took the elevator back to her office. She was grateful they waited until the end of the day to tell her; she could leave without anyone asking awkward questions. As she packed her bag, a tear slid down her cheek. No, she wouldn’t cry. Not here. She refused to give them the satisfaction.

She dashed back to the elevator as quickly as she could without drawing unwanted attention. She had to breathe deeply to keep her emotions in check. She lasted until she got into her car, then she broke. She bent over the steering wheel and just let it all out. She really liked her job. She was good at it. She was always told that she was on the fast track, that she had so much more to give the company. It didn’t feel like it right now. It felt like someone reached into her chest and yanked her heart out.

She was being stupid. She knew that. It was just a _job._ But it was her first adult job right out of university. She worked so hard, assuming that it was like school and her hard work would be rewarded. But she was so, so wrong. She hadn’t expected the backstabbing and the politics. Was that the real reason they didn’t choose her? Did she just not know the right people? Was she not _nice_ enough? Why wasn’t it enough that she was friendly and competent?

But no. Rey was never enough. She didn’t know what happened to her parents; they were just missing. It didn’t matter; they hadn’t taken her with them wherever they were. She wasn’t enough for any of the foster homes they put her in. She didn’t have many close friends; letting people in scared the shit out of her. People could disappoint you.

Her phone vibrated. Rey sucked in a shuddering breath as she checked the message. It was from Finn. He was her best friend. They met when Rey came to the States for university. He was in her freshman orientation, just as clueless as her. They decided to be clueless together and had been friends ever since. Finn was the first person in her life to never let her down. He didn’t disappoint this time either. **_What happened? Did I need to kill anyone?_**

Rey smiled despite the tears that still dripped down her cheeks. **_I didn’t get it._**

The three dots flashed on her screen. **_My question stands. Who do you need me to kill?_**

Rey laughed. God, she needed to laugh. **_No one. Really, it’s okay._** It wasn’t but Finn was seven hundred miles away and unable to actually do anything. When they were at school, they would stay up late and watch old movies together when one of them was having a bad day. That was harder to do over Skype. It just wasn’t the same. **_I’ll just throw on some Judy when I get home. No big deal._**

She felt better already; Finn was just a good person. He didn’t care that she was a failure. He was like the brother she never had. Rey found some tissues and mopped up her face. Then her phone buzzed again. **_Don’t watch A Star Is Born without me!_** Then a moment later, **_I’m really sorry, Peanut. They’re the idiots, not you._**

She thanked him for the sentiment, though she knew it would be a while until she felt it. She just needed some quality time with some rocky road ice cream, Nutella and Judy Garland. She would be fine. She always was.

Rey dumped her work bag in the corner the moment she entered her apartment. She and Finn had shared the place until he got promoted and transferred to the Midwest. He visited as often as he could, but they often went weeks without seeing each other in person. Rey missed him, especially now. She grabbed her pajamas from the bedroom and marched straight to the bathroom. Before she ate her weight in ice cream, she needed a hot bath.

The water felt amazing; the heat soaked into her exhausted body. She was more mentally exhausted than physically, but she hadn’t been sleeping well. Wondering about her possible promotion had kept her up the last few nights. All that worrying wasn’t even worth it! They couldn’t even give her a good reason for not picking her! It was infuriating. She smacked the water in frustration. She didn’t understand what they wanted from her! She was more pissed about that than not getting the job if she were being honest with herself. Give her something concrete to work on. Not stupid platitudes that don’t help anyone.

A sharp knock on her door made her jump, causing water to splash all over the floor. _Shit._ “Just a minute!” she yelled. Who the hell could _that_ be? Finn was the only person she’d been in contact with since she left the office. She hadn’t ordered food yet. She didn’t have any deliveries. More water splashed in her haste to get out of the tub and get a towel around her. Thank god, she’d invested in the big fluffy kind.

Water dripped as she dashed through the apartment, but there was nothing for it. Maybe it was the old lady who lived down the hall? Maz was almost a hundred, hard of hearing and nosy. Rey took a peek through the peephole as she tried to brush damp tendrils from her face. And she promptly cursed. It wasn’t Maz.

It was Poe.

 _Don’t panic._ She didn’t have anything to panic about. It was just Poe. Poe was her friend. Okay, he was _Finn’s_ friend, who just happened to hang out with them sometimes. Finn and Poe worked for the same company; Finn just started bringing his older friend to their standing Friday night pub crawls. Back then, Poe was new to the area just like them; Finn was just a friendly guy. Rey was wary of Poe at first; making new friends never came easily to her. But having the Finn stamp approval helped. Over time, she realized that Poe was a lot like Finn; he was just _nice._

Except when it came to his job, then he could be a cocky son of a bitch.

Yet, somehow, he even made _that_ endearing.

Still, they weren’t close. Well, not close in the way Rey wanted anyway. Because of course she’d gone and developed a crush on him. Aside from being nice, he was also _hot._ In the time she’d known him, he dated a _lot_. Nothing ever quite seemed to stick, but she wasn’t a fool. There was no way he was interested in her. They were friends and she was fine with that.

Still, none of that explained why he was on the other side of the door with flowers and a plastic bag weighed down with…something. Food maybe? She couldn’t tell through the peephole.

“Rey?” Poe called. “Are you gonna open the door?”

“One second!” Shit, she was only wearing a towel! It would take too long to run back and put some clothes on. That would definitely be suspicious. Besides, the towel covered her. After a deep breath, she opened the door. “Hey.”

Poe’s eyes widened in surprise. “Uh, is this a bad time? Finn called and told me what happened…”

He was there to help make her feel better? Damn it. “Sorry, I wasn’t expecting anyone. I came home and just needed a hot bath.” _Christ, do not mention the bath!_

Fortunately, Poe just nodded. “Yeah, I get that.” He held out the flowers. “I wasn’t sure what kind you liked, so I got a bit of everything. And I hope you’re hungry?”

Rey flushed as she accepted the flowers. The last person to get her flowers was her asshole college boyfriend Ben Solo and that was usually because he’d done something wrong. “These are lovely. Thank you.”

Poe smiled. “Something my mom taught me. When in doubt go with flowers.”

Rey bit her lip. She knew that Poe’s mother passed when he was young, so that advice was precious. “Um, come in. I was just about to order food, so give me a minute to put these in some water and, uh, get dressed.”

“I can come back.” Poe rubbed the back of his neck. “Finn thought you might like some company. I know I’m a poor substitute for him…”

She laid a hand on his arm. “It’s okay. And you’re not a poor substitute. You’re welcome to stay, as long as you don’t mock my taste in comfort movies.”

Poe crossed the spot over his heart. “No mocking.”

“You can spread that out in front of the TV. Utensils and things should be in the kitchen. Help yourself.” She found a vase under the sink and quickly transferred the flowers over to it. They smelled amazing; Poe had good taste. She put the bouquet up on the ledge in her kitchen window, then she hurried back to the bathroom. Her hand shook as she closed the door. Okay. She could handle this. Poe was just filling in for Finn. It was sweet of her friend to not want her to be alone when she was depressed. The timing was just unfortunate.

Rey dragged a brush through her hair; that hid most of the damp tendrils from the bath. She cleaned up the floor too and put on her pajamas. She considered swapping the pajamas for jeans and a turtleneck, but Poe had already seen her in the towel. There wasn’t much else for him to see.

Poe kept glancing back at the closed bathroom door. What the hell was he doing? This was a terrible idea. Why did he let Finn talk him into it? It wasn’t like he and Rey were best friends. They never just…hung out. Especially since Finn moved away. Poe hadn’t seen Rey in weeks. They corresponded via the group text Finn set up, but that was it. Poe hadn’t even realized Rey was up for a promotion until Finn called and told him she didn’t get it. She probably wanted to be alone. Or talk to Finn.

She was always reserved around Poe and he didn’t know why. It bothered him more than he wanted to admit. He wanted to be her friend. He found her fascinating. The few facts he knew about her only increased his admiration. She was intelligent, a bit of an introvert, but she could light up a whole room when she felt safe. He wanted her to feel that way with _him._ He just didn’t know how.

Only _now_ , having caught her in literally nothing but a towel, he felt a whole bunch of _other_ things about her. Things he’d tried not to think for _months_. He wasn’t _blind._ Rey was objectively beautiful. Dark chestnut hair, hazel eyes flecked with green and gold, a heart stopping smile. And now he’d gotten a glimpse of miles of pale freckled skin?

He was going to the special hell.

She was off limits. She was Finn’s best friend; he couldn’t have feelings for her. That was why he stuck to his routine. When he felt lonely, he went out. Sometimes he brought someone home, sometimes he didn’t. Anything to distract him from his friend’s friend. He couldn’t go there, no matter how much he wondered how her lips tasted.

She was taking a long time in the bathroom; Poe busied himself with unwrapping the food. He remembered she liked Thai food; there was a take out place around the block from her apartment. He picked up the food on the way over. It was still warm, thankfully.

He heard the door open with a soft click; instinctively, he turned. At least she was wearing clothes this time. Cute flannel pajamas with teddy bears on them. He swallowed. “Food’s still warm,” he croaked. He cleared his throat. “I got Thai from around the corner.”

“I was just gonna bury my feelings in a container of Ben and Jerry’s so this is probably healthier,” she joked.

“We can have Ben and Jerry’s after, if you want.”

“I might take you up on that.”

Poe shifted a little on the couch; he felt decidedly overdressed in his slacks and button-down shirt. He’d ditched his tie on the way over; he hated the damn things. “Shall we eat right out of the containers or do you have plates?”

“I have plates, but I’m fine like this.” She looked at the containers and frowned. “Something’s missing.”

“What?”

“Wine. You drink wine, right?”

“Um, yeah.”

She grinned. “Be right back.” The smell of the Thai food started to fill her small apartment; her stomach growled. She still didn’t feel great about herself, but Finn was right, as usual. Now that Poe was here, she found she didn’t want to be alone.

She only hoped she didn’t make a fool of herself.

She found an unopened bottle of white wine, a corkscrew, and a couple of glasses. She set one in front of Poe. “Is this okay?” she asked. “I’ll drink alone if I have to.”

“No one should drink alone.”

“Didn’t you drive…?”

“I did. But I can get an Uber home if I can’t drive. No need to worry about me, Rey.”

She chewed on her lip. “Okay.” She started twisting the corkscrew; she tried to ignore Poe watching her.

“I can get that.”

“You think I can’t? Watch and learn.” She grinned as she gave it one more twist and yanked. The cork came out with a satisfying pop; Rey giggled. “I love doing that.”

“I can tell.” It was good to see her smile; he knew she had a shitty day. “So what movie are we watching?”

Rey sat on the right end of the couch and poured them two glasses of wine. It would keep for a bit before she needed to get some ice. She couldn’t look him in the eye. “Um, when I feel like this, I usually go for the classics. Judy Garland is my favorite.”

“Really? I wouldn’t have expected that.”

“Maybe I’m full of surprises.”

“Here’s to hoping I find out a few more,” he said, holding up his glass.

Rey flushed, but she clinked her glass with his. His grin was the kind that made her heart stutter in her chest. Why did he have to be handsome as well as kind? She distracted herself by taking a sip of wine. “How do you feel about musicals?”

Poe blinked, blindsided by the question. “Um…” He flushed. “Do I lose my cred by admitting my band in high school played the band in our production of _Grease?_ ”

Rey’s jaw dropped. “You’re _kidding!”_

Poe could feel the heat creeping up his neck, but he liked that he made her smile. “Nope. Not our most glamorous moment, but I thought it was fun.”

Rey just shook her head in disbelief. “I can’t believe you were in a _band.”_

“And why’s that?”

Rey shrugged helplessly. “I don’t know. It just seems weird.”

“I still have my guitar, I’ll have you know.”

“How did I not know this? Do you sing too?”

Now he was _really_ embarrassed. This was not how he preferred she find out these things about him. “Maybe we should play the movie and find out. Which one did you have in mind?”

“I was going to be a total cliché and say _Wizard of Oz_ , but I’m starting to reconsider.”

“I like that one.”

“Okay then.” She got up and popped the disc into the player. She could have streamed it, but the picture quality was better with the disc. And for _Wizard_ she wanted those colors to _pop._ As Dorothy’s adventure began, Rey picked up one of the containers and shoveled some Thai food into her mouth. “Thanks for bringing this,” she said. “It’s really good.”

“You’re welcome.” He followed suit, settling back on the couch with his own container. There was a foot of space between them, putting them both near the food. It was just close enough that he was far more aware of her than he wanted to be. If he wanted to stay good, of course. Rey curled her legs under her; she quickly became absorbed in the movie. She clearly knew it well; she mouthed some of the dialogue in between bites of food. Poe hadn’t seen this movie in years, but he was more interested in watching Rey. It was fascinating how the tension and sadness seemed to drain out of her.

Then something happened that truly surprised him.

She started to sing.

Rey’s clear warm voice filled the room in almost perfect harmony with Judy on “Over the Rainbow.” Poe gave up all pretense of eating or watching the movie in favor of the woman beside him. There was so much _emotion_ in her voice; he could tell the song meant a lot to her. Her voice wobbled once toward the end; a single tear slid down her cheek.

 _“Wow,”_ Poe whispered.

Rey blinked, remembering suddenly that she wasn’t alone. She covered her mouth in horror. _“Oh my god.”_ She blushed furiously and dashed for the kitchen. Poe paused the movie and went after her.

“Rey, I’m sorry,” he said. “I didn’t mean to embarrass you.” She had her back turned, clutching a tissue in her fist. “I was just surprised. You have a beautiful voice. Please don’t be upset.”

“I can’t believe I did that,” she whispered, almost to herself. She did it with Finn all the time; he was used to her just breaking out into song. Finn couldn’t sing at all, but he never minded listening to her. But Finn was her friend and used to her quirks. Poe probably thought she was just sad. That song didn’t usually make her cry, but for some reason, it hit her differently this time. The yearning for a different life that Dorothy sings about in that song reflected how Rey had felt since her interview. She wanted it _so_ badly. She’d allowed herself to want _other_ things, imagining a whole new start in her life. Then it was gone, just like that.

But she wouldn’t have been embarrassed about doing that in front of Finn. He would have sung along—badly—and told a joke after to make her laugh. This wasn’t Finn. This was Poe. He probably thought she was just being silly. Jobs were not worth crying over.

Her shoulders shook with another suppressed sob; Poe gently touched her shoulder. “Hey, it’s okay.”

She wrenched away from him. God, she didn’t want him to _pity_ her! “You don’t have to pretend to care, Poe. I’m sure you think I’m pathetic.”

Poe frowned. Is that what she thought? “Why would I think that? Rey, I’ve been exactly where you are. And it’s a shitty feeling. And despite what everyone says, it doesn’t get easier. Each rejection is its own kind of hell.”

“You’ve never been rejected in your life.”

“That is patently untrue. Everyone gets rejected for _something_ , Rey. When I was a kid, all I wanted was to be a pilot like my mom. I busted my ass, finally got my wings. But then…” He glanced away. “There was an incident. We were in a storm; my plane was struck by lightning. My instrumentation went out. It was at night. My wingman tried to help guide me back to safe airspace, but I couldn’t maintain control. I had to punch out. Muran tried to cover me, but his plane was hit by enemy fire. He didn’t make it.”

Rey bit her lip; she had no idea about any of this. After a deep breath, Poe continued. “I was extracted three days later. Physically, I was fine, but the docs diagnosed me with mild PTSD. I was medically discharged a six months later.”

Rey swallowed around the lump in her throat. “Now I know you think I’m pathetic,” she said softly. “You went through something I can’t even imagine and I’m crying about a stupid job that doesn’t even mean anything.”

“It meant something to _you_ ,” he replied softly. “That’s not stupid.”

“But it _is_ ,” she insisted. “I didn’t almost _die,_ Poe! I just feel like a failure!”

“It was chance that my plane was struck by lightning and not his, Rey. For years afterward, that haunted me. That Muran should be here instead of me. It took me a long time—and a hell of a lot of therapy—to realize that Muran wouldn’t want me to cling to the guilt. He’d want me to live my life. I’ve been trying to do that ever since. But for a long time, I felt like a failure. Like I was squandering the second chance he gave me.”

“This is not the same.”

“Maybe, but that doesn’t invalidate what you feel. You got screwed over. From what Finn told me, they didn’t even give you a good reason for why they passed you over.”

Rey shook her head. “Not unless it was in some undecipherable code.”

Poe gave her a soft grin. “There’s that sass I missed.”

Rey flushed. “Whatever.”

“No, I mean it. I always looked forward to those Friday nights. I was dying to hear whatever Rey Solana said next.” He found another tissue and handed it to her. “Finn talked me into coming here, but I‘m glad he did.”

“Why?” When had he gotten so close?

Poe bit his lip. He was such an asshole for even _thinking_ about kissing her right now, but she still took his breath away. “Finn’s great, but the real reason I kept coming to those Friday night outings was _you,”_ he confessed. “I have the worst timing ever and please feel free to kick me out if I’m overstepping, but…I like you, Rey. But we never spend time together outside of Finn, so it’s fine if you don’t feel the same way. I am literally just here to be that shoulder to cry on if you need it.”

Rey just gaped at him. She couldn’t believe her ears. None of this made sense! Her mind struggled to keep up. She couldn’t seem to absorb his confession. He _liked_ her? He was like a decade older than her so she just never even considered the idea that he could have feelings for her. She was fine with her crush. But here he was confessing that he liked spending time with her. And he didn’t think she was sad and pathetic for being upset about losing out on a job. Which was a minor miracle in her opinion considering what she now knew about him.

For someone like _him_ to like someone like _her_ was borderline insanity.

He could see the struggle on her face. “Hey, it’s okay. I’m a big boy. Believe it or not, I am capable of being friends.” It _sucked_ , but he could handle it.

Poe started to leave the kitchen, but Rey caught his hand. She really didn’t want him to leave. His dark brown eyes were curious as she gazed into them. Slowly, carefully, she closed the space between them and leaned up on her toes so she could brush a kiss to his lips. They were soft and full; she already wanted to kiss him again. But she forced herself to step back. “Stay.”

“Rey…what are you doing?”

“I’m asking you to stay. Not just because I don’t want to be alone but because…I, uh, like you too.”

Poe blinked at her. He’d imagined a moment like this a thousand different ways, but none of them were like this. None of them included him confessing his darkest secret or Rey crying. She wasn’t crying now, but he didn’t want her to be doing this for the wrong reason. “Rey…”

“I’m still embarrassed about the singing, but I’ve had a crush on you for a while,” she confided. “I freaked out _because_ it was you. I was sure you’d just make fun of me. And making a fool of yourself with your crush is about as childish as it gets.”

Poe thought she was adorable, especially with her cheeks that delicate shade of pink. “You didn’t make a fool of yourself, Rey. I promise.”

Rey laughed. “I am such a mess.”

“We all are in one way or another.” He cradled her cheek. “I’d love to kiss you again.”

She smiled. “Okay.” She didn’t even have time to close her eyes before his lips were on hers again. Poe wasn’t hesitant like her; this kiss was firm but gentle. It ended far too soon for her; she chased his lips with hers. He groaned softly as she kissed him again, pulling him close by his shirt.

Poe’s head was spinning; he couldn’t believe this was _real_. Rey’s lips moved against his, soft and pliant, as he held her close. They stumbled back toward the sink, still kissing; Rey huffed as she hit the counter. “We should slow down,” he whispered, kissing the corner of her mouth.

Rey licked her lips; she liked the way he tasted. “Why?”

“Because I feel like I’m taking advantage of you.”

She frowned. “Poe…”

“You were upset and crying a half hour ago,” he pointed out.

Her face softened. She appreciated that he wanted to make sure she was okay. It was sweet, if unnecessary. “Do you know why I was crying?” Poe shook his head. “I love that song. There’s a yearning in it that’s always spoken to me. I guess it just hit me harder than usual because I keep wondering what’s wrong with me.”

“Rey…” He was furious that anyone would make her feel that way.

“No, just listen. I’ve been alone most of my life. Finn’s been the closest thing to family I’ve had since I was little. I’ve had a few boyfriends, but those never worked out either. I’ve always assumed that there was something wrong with me. So I keep people at arm’s length. I don’t get close. I resented Finn for bringing you to _our_ thing for a while.”

“I’m sorry.”

“You didn’t do anything except try to be my friend. But deep down, I think I knew being your friend wouldn’t be enough for me. I assumed that was another hopeless dream. That’s why I never call or text you. Because being around you without Finn reminds me of something else I can’t have.”

“I think we’ve proved that wrong,” he replied, kissing her forehead. “And there is _nothing_ wrong with you, Rey. Nothing. Anyone who doesn’t see how amazing you are is a fool.”

“That’s easy to say…”

“It’s the truth. If those idiots you work with can’t see that, it’s their loss.”

“What I’m saying is, you can’t take advantage of feelings that already exist. Does it suck that it took something like this for us to really spend time together? Yeah. But I want you here. And I’d really like you to kiss me again.”

Poe wasn’t about to argue with her. He slanted his lips over hers, finally giving her a hint of the pent up feelings he’d harbored for her. She mewled into his mouth, kissing him back with equal fervor. She grew bold, sliding her tongue into his mouth. Poe groaned, tightening his fingers over her hips. They didn’t stop until they both needed to breathe. “Wow.”

“Mmhmmm.”

“Maybe we should return to the movie?”

Rey had other things on her mind, but he was right. They shouldn’t move _too_ fast. “On one condition.”

“Name it.”

“You take me to dinner tomorrow.”

“Like a date?”

Rey grinned. “Poe, would you like to go on a date with me?”

He grinned back. “Yes.” He kissed her one last time, then he took her hand. They walked back into the living room and restarted the movie. This time, they sat huddled together with Poe’s arm around her shoulders. This made it impossible for him to eat, so Rey fed him bites of cold Thai food. Rey sang all of Dorothy’s parts—sans embarrassment—but her favorite moment was when Poe joined her as the Tin Man. It was cheesy and adorable, and she loved every second of it.

After _Wizard of Oz_ , they got ice cream and enjoyed another favorite of hers, _Summer Stock._ By the time that one was over, Rey felt much better. She was ready to put all the bad feelings behind her and start fresh. Only this time, she wouldn’t be alone.


End file.
